Tech analysts estimate that over six billion emojis are sent each day. Emojis, which started off as a collection of low-resolution pixelated images from Japan, have become a well-established and graphically sophisticated part of everyday global communication.

But who decides what emojis are available to users, and who makes the actual designs? Independent radio and film producer Mark Bramhill took it upon himself to find out and, in the process, ended up developing and pitching his own idea for a new emoji.

A profile of Lyn Rathburn, a Houston-based cactus mogul, and king of the succulents.

THE DIVA SHEEP

AUGUST 2016 for KCRW'S 24-HOUR RADIO RACE

The story of a farmer, a man in a pickle, a German opera producer, 100 ewes, and a production that took the New York art world by storm. Produced with Jon Earle. Winner of the 2016 UnFictional Award for KCRW’s 24-Hour Radio Race.

THE SHIMMY

NOVEMBER 2015 for WELCOME TO MACINTOSH

The story of how a YouTube video made Steve Jobs dance.

SONIC ID: REGRETS

JUNE 2015 for TRANSOM

Walking down Main Street in Hyannis, MA, Joe talks about his biggest regrets.

AN OCEAN AWAY

MAY 2015 for TRANSOM

Sarah Outen is on an adventure: doing a lap of the world powered only by her own muscles. She travels by bike, kayak, and row boat. Her trip has brought her the best — and worst — moments of her life. And now, four years after starting her journey, Sarah is preparing for the final leg: rowing home from Cape Cod to London.

CAPTAIN MIKE AND THE WHITE WHALES

MAY 2015 for TRANSOM

Captain Mike Orbe sells more oversized fish each year than many fisherman will catch in a lifetime. But his fish won’t be winding up on the dinner table. Mike’s fish are wooden carvings, ranging between two and eight feet long. His most popular carving? The white sperm whale.